Technical Entry Scheme (10+2 TES) Army

You are commissioned as a Lieutenant, mostly in the Corps of Engineers, Corps of Signals or Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers. Work includes leading soldiers, and building and maintaining roads, bridges and buildings. It also includes running communication networks, and keeping vehicles, radars and weapons systems working in barracks, in the field and in border areas.

A day in the work
Your day often starts with physical training and a parade with your unit. Then you might inspect a signal network, a workshop full of vehicles, or a bridge under construction, and sort out problems with your junior commissioned officers and soldiers. In the afternoon you do paperwork, plan maintenance or training, and attend meetings. Every so often you move to a new posting, which can be a big city or a remote post, and you may spend months away from family.

1. Step 1 · Class 11–12Take Physics, Chemistry and Maths, and aim for 60% or more in PCM in Class 12. Start building fitness now, and learn to swim. The Army checks a minimum standard on arrival for training, including a 2.4 km run, push-ups, pull-ups and swimming basics (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
2. Step 2 · Class 12Appear in JEE Main in the same cycle you plan to apply. Appearing is compulsory. The Army shortlists for SSB using JEE Main marks, and the cut-off is announced separately for each course (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · After Class 12 resultsApply online at joinindianarmy.nic.in. There is no application fee, and only one application is allowed. Recent courses were notified about twice a year, around May–June and October–November. For example, TES-57 (July 2027 course) was open from 14 Oct to 12 Nov 2026 (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · SSB interviewIf you are shortlisted, you go to a 5-day Services Selection Board. It has two stages. Those who do not clear Stage I are sent back the same day. The final merit list is built on SSB performance (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · Medical and merit listIf the SSB recommends you, you go for a medical examination. Then you fill in three choices of training college (Pune, Mhow, Secunderabad). Joining letters go out in order of merit, depending on seats and fitness (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · 4 years of trainingPhase 1 is 3 years of military and engineering training at CME Pune, MCTE Mhow or MCEME Secunderabad. Phase 2 is 1 year at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. The notification allows at most two academic relegations. Further academic relegation means withdrawal (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
7. Step 7 · CommissionYou are granted a Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant, with a posting in a technical arm. After that, promotions up to Lt Colonel are by years of service (reported). (reported — check with the official body)

Fees from: India TV News on the TES-54 notification (reported). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay rises steadily with rank and years of service, and allowances change a lot with where you are posted, such as field, high-altitude or border areas, but you do not pay for housing, medical care or your own training.

This scheme is open only to unmarried male candidates. Women can look at other officer routes such as NDA, or technical entries for graduates. Every candidate must meet the Army's officer medical standards.

• Class 7–9Start a simple fitness habit this month: a 20-minute run or brisk walk most days. If you cannot swim yet, ask a parent about learning at a safe, supervised pool.
• Class 10–12Solve one JEE Main previous-year paper on the official NTA site each week. Keep your Class 11–12 PCM marks above 60%.Open link ↗
• College or afterIf you want to explore engineering while you wait or if you take another route, pick a free basic electronics or mechanics course on NPTEL and finish it.Open link ↗

• The latest notice we found is TES-57 (July 2027 course): 90 provisional vacancies, applications 14 Oct–12 Nov 2026 (reported). Each notification asks for JEE Main of that year. So if you are in Class 12 in 2026–27, plan to appear in JEE Main 2027 and watch for the next notification. Always check the full notice on joinindianarmy.nic.in, because dates and rules change by course.
• You must stay unmarried during training. Leaving for personal reasons means the government recovers the cost of training (₹13,940 per week was the figure as of 2021, reported).
• TES officers are only for the Army's technical arms. Interested in an officer career but not engineering? Look at NDA and the army-officer profile.
• Training years are not counted as commissioned service, but admissible arrears for the training period are paid on commissioning (reported).
• The Army's own websites could not be read automatically when we checked, so ages, marks and dates here are marked reported. Confirm them in the course notice on joinindianarmy.nic.in before applying.